How long does it take you to write an 1500 word article?
So I just started to work as a content writer, fresh out of uni. I'm supposed to be writing 1500 words per day but I find it quite hard to reach the word count unless I spend the whole day on the piece. How long does it take for you guys to write up 1500 words? Also, do you have any tips for more speedy writing? thanks EDIT: hey guys I'm only seeing these replies a few hours later! Thank you so much, I'm going to write down a big list of all the tips you've given me and see what happens. Thanks for the encouragement as well, it def helps since I'm on my third day now lol 76 💬🗨
ScotVonGaz 1500 words should be easy. 3000-4500 is what we use. Few tips I'd recommend… Plan what you're going to write about. Pick the topic or product if it's a review. Make short dot points about the meat of the post before you write anything. Essentially, why you are writing it and what you want to highlight. What are you trying to tell your audience. I think most people structure a post with an introduction, a main story/review of your topic and ending the post with a conclusion and maybe a call to action if there's an affiliate element. Try not to over think when you are writing. Just write and say what is in your head. Don't worry about formatting and grammar. Don't worry about it making sense or flowing yet either. Just write everything you can about your chosen topic. Once you've got everything down, just go back through your article and check off your dot points list to make sure you got everything. Finally, check the flow of the article to make sure it makes sense and adjust and tweak anything if necessary. Don't spend all day on it though. The more you write the better and quicker you'll get at it so don't aim for perfection immediately but aim to get better each time.
turritopsisdohrnii12 ✍️ Thanks for such an elaborate explanation! I wrote this down on a separate doc, so will try it out next time and see it works for me. :)
DomDesi Well if we re just talking 1500 I usually write subheadings BEFORE I write anything, subheadings like related questions I think the reader would have, then next thing u know I have 4 or 5 subheadings. 300-400 words per subheading (which makes it ALOT easier to break it down) and I can finish a 1500 post in under 2-3 hours most likely (highly focused however), I could be a lil faster honestly but I write a particular way tht I'm stubborn about lol. (This subheading method I cannot take credit for, these dudes on YouTube called "Income School" do this, it's been working brilliantly for me, especially when it's something ur not crazy interested in writing about). Tht being said however, the editing, making tweaks (I'm honestly stubborn af with some sentences tht I could just let go) and finding pics (the pics are the worst, I really should pay for a premium stock photo service), after all this I could usually add another 3-4 hours. Try the subheading thing bro, streamlines it a lot easier.
peter-boucher-1989 The heading method was a game changer for me!!
DomDesi Yesss! It makes the whole process waaaaay less daunting with this sub heading stuff! Cuz who can't pump out 300 words? Then just do tht a few times and boom! 🔥💃🏽
AnENTJ 1500 words a day is a dreamy target, you can probably double or triple that for most content writers! I normally spend around 3hrs on a 1500 word piece but that's including all the SEO elements, keyword research and reviewing competitor content. Agree with the advice other people have shared but I'd also add that if you're writing blog content, write the skeleton of your article first- meaning headings AND sentences that summarise each point you're making (literally like a uni essay). Makes the process way faster. THEN look at the top ranking competitor content in the Search Engine Result Page (SERP) for your focal keyword, but don't do this first as the urge to imitate it closely and feel inauthentic is painful. Obviously add in any relevant topics that you think you could include or improve upon from these articles though. Also, I personally read my content aloud as I go to make sure each piece is actually offering value/flows/has a coherent point so maybe give that a go, everyone finds a slightly different method that works for them.
calligraphic-io That's a really good idea to do competitor analysis after sketching out subheadings, for exactly the reason you mention. Thanks! turritopsisdohrnii12 ✍️ Thank you! The tip on looking at the competitor's content only afterwards is very smart, I'm definitely gonna try that for the next article. So with that it seems to me that I'll get inspired by what they've written and add anything I don't have + try to be critical and come up with better ideas than them (try to)? Also, the reading aloud thing! I actually tried it and imagined as if I'm explaining my topic to a friend, or a client in real life. Good to hear other people have tried this as well!
MilesWeb • Don't focus on words first of all. When you have a topic with you, gather as many resources as you can on that. • Gather some stats too, if possible. • Then go through the resources that you have collected and list down the points that those have covered. • Now make a list of pointers you will be covering in your post and start writing. • At start, you will need more than a half day for this but later on it will be easy to write the article in maximum 3 hours. Remember quality always matters than quantity. If you are successful in giving your readers what they would love reading, you have won the race.
B0BsLawBlog I think this is the main divide here. Some people are discussing the time it takes to do research, figure out target keywords, do analysis and competitor review, and finally synthesize that into a finished edited article with all these done. Other people saying "yo it takes 60 mins" are referring to the point the text is flowing under your fingers. Which for 1,500 words can come in one big rush once you have everything else in line.
cbddispensary I think it's a how long is a piece of string question. If you asked me to write about small business tips for running a retail or e-com business I'd do 3-4000 easy in a day. And I'm confident the quality would be there. Why? Because that's my jam. But if you asked me to write 1500 words on the best car for a first time buyer, I'd struggle. Actually, b0llox, I'd slay that too. Okay gardening. I'd struggle to do a 100. I guess it comes down to knowing what people want to see when they search a topic and knowing the topic well Don't beat yourself up
turritopsisdohrnii12 ✍️ First I thought you were serious about the best car article, I hoped you're joking cause it would be encouragement :) Yeah, not worrying so much and going with the flow would do me some good
cbddispensary I could definitely nail first car buyer :) But that's because I write commercial focused blogs all day for my own business and so I kind of have a 'rubric' I follow. Similar to what the other Redditor mentioned at the top. Get your consistent headers set up for a type of article and then just work from those. Obviously every blog has a different intent. Some are informational, some transactional, some comparative etc. The keyword will tell you that. Then create a template you use depending on the scenario. So for example I have a structure for how I write product descriptions if it's say a vape kit. But it will be different if it's a juice for it. Likewise if I'm describing a cannabis terpene for my CBD site. I'll have a way I write it Part of that is informed also by what the headings the top 3-4 Google results have used and what they have missed. Then I do them all. Skyscraper. Did that for CBD Gummies today and now I'm page 2 for a CBD gummies advice guide within a day of posting it. Admittedly the search volumes are low but the page is a pillar piece that will improve and link out to other pages. So every page has its purpose. When you know what that purpose is for the client – or you can advise on it, then the format becomes easier. If you are writing about topics you are less solid on, it may pay to focus on a few niches. I appreciate financially that's not always easy. But if you have a passion for one area, begin your own blog on it as a practise space. Then you will get more comfortable writing and at pace and structured in an efficient way. turritopsisdohrnii12 ✍️ Ahh I see what you're saying. The thing is, I can't write about what I'm knowledgeable about specifically because I never choose my clients. I'm part of a digital marketing agency, and clients get assigned to me – regardless of what I'm knowledgeable about. That is also why I have to write 1500 per day, that's the requirement from the job. For example, now I have articles about testosterone boosters lined up, honestly never heard of them before… Well now that I wrote the first one, I can imagine the second one will be easier! Also, you seem very knowledgeable in the field, so I just wanted to ask (this is off-topic but was curious) what's the difference between focus keywords and secondary keywords? Do the focus keywords need to be included a few times or what? cbddispensary Best way to describe them I suppose is if you imagine an article has a seed word or phrase. Let's say test boosters. The secondary would be what are test boosters, are test boosters safe, do test boosters work, how do test boosters work, what are the benefits of taking test, what are the side effects of test boosters, is test 100 legal, is test addictive, what test dose to take, where can I buy testosterone? This is kind of the structure. You'd want to avoid using test boosters all the time, and use some semantic alternatives, but the keyword is test boosters, ideally you'd want that in the key spots, main file name of featured image, alt tag etc, title. Chuck a table of contents in to help readability. 140-150% line spacing. Two to three lines at a time. That's how I write anyway. I try to focus on readability and journey. Yes I could write about test too ;)
paul_caspian I regularly write content of around 1,200 words or 1,500 words. I reckon on such content taking around 2 hours for the 1,200 and 3 hours for the 1,500. That includes research, planning, writing, and revisions. That seems like a reasonable speed to me, and mainly comes from knowing the subject well, having reasonable Google-Fu and research skills, and getting a good brief from the client. Edugate_Skills If your Content needs these: • in-depth research, • links, • citations, • graphics then it would take up to 5 hours. An adult can typically write 40-50 words per minute. Your readers demand Quality! Take as much time as you want to write but do not prolong it. calligraphic-io A different approach than the other comments is to look at the money, and break that out on an hourly basis. Does your niche support hiring contractors at $0.10/word (if not, at what rate)? If so, the piece would pay $150. What's a reasonable hourly rate for doing the work, including relevant taxes and your labor burden (set asides for holiday pay, sick days, etc.) where you're at? That can also give you some rules of thumb to guide you.
turritopsisdohrnii12 ✍️ That's a creative approach, thanks for the idea :)
collegessays For a start its ok but as you proceed you will find your speed increasing whereby you will be able to write 1500 in 4 or 5 hours
turritopsisdohrnii12 ✍️ Amazing, looking forward to it!
Grant_18 Honestly? Don't over think it. You're not being scruntised like you were at uni. Be correct grammatically, write in the correct tone for the website and keep it at that. Personally, I remember spreading 1000 words over 10 days whilst at uni… Nowadays? After 20 minutes reading competitors sites, a 500 word article takes about 30 minutes.
turritopsisdohrnii12 ✍️ This! What you're saying about not being scrutinized like I was at uni hit the spot. Especially since that's why I think I'm being slow, trying to analyze whether one sentence works well with the next, whether it makes sense and all that. I should just relax. Thanks for your advice :)
Grant_18 Fantastic! Really glad to have helped, genuinely that will be a massive part of the issue. Best of luck buddy!
sacred_algebra_2 Depends on the content. If its something I know and care about, 1500 word draft could be done in 2 hours. If it requires research and is a bunch of corporate fluff, a day is a reasonable amount of time. piernut As others said, it can be as little as 2 hours before proofreading, editing, adding images, and internal links. If you are not super knowledgable about it and needs researching or references than it can go up to a day. WritingMagician I know it's the obvious answer, but it truly depends. Somebody could absolutely spend a full day, or even longer, writing an eloquent think-piece or something of that nature. However, there are many types of writing which would take less time, such as a top 10 blog article, or an affiliate-style review article. tysarac I usually write articles of 1000 words or more, waiting few days before publishing, I read everyday, add or remove few things. When I read the 1000-word article today, that I wrote yesterday, I have to delete half of it. Questioning myself and some of thinks becoming nonsense. How long does it take 1500-words article? The more knowledge you have on the subject you are writing the sooner it will take. thegorilla09 Another way to look at this is to read 1500 word articles. There are loads. So, how do you tell the good ones from the bad ones? Which resonate with you? We all love our niche, but you are different. Your clients are different. The audience is different. Can you write 1500 words that the audience will appreciate? That's really all that matters for a professional. Get the job done.
turritopsisdohrnii12 ✍️ This is a very good point! I will try this as practice whenever I search for something. Thanks for pointing it out :)
revolutionPanda If it's a topic I know about and I've already done my keyword research, my process looks like this: • outline – 15 minutes • write 1,000- 1,500 words – 45-60 minutes • editing – 30 minutes.
